Masters Day One

The 2024 Masters commenced yesterday with the traditional tee off by the honorary starters. This year Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson showed that golf can be a timeless sport for athletes of all ages. It is fun to watch these living legends hit a ball off the first tee.

After a rain delay, the action started. There were many great scores considering the windy and wet conditions. It is not difficult to understand that Augusta National is playing differently because of the weather, which in turn forces the players to adjust a bit to be successful. Rory McIlroy explains it best:

The first round is not finished due to the early weather delay. Thirty percent (30%) of the field still needs to finish this morning. Some are near the top of the leaderboard, so the final standings for round one are yet to be determined. I will add, that Bryson Dechambeau’s -7 round was a great start. Scottie Scheffler is one stroke back and some pundits are marveling at their start. I would like to remind the readers that three players started with -7 last year and one (Jon Rahm) did go on to win his first green jacket. There is still plenty of golf left and it is way to early to think the players currently at the top of the leaderboard will be there on Sunday afternoon.

Today’s big influence will be the wind. It is forecasted to gust between 20 and 26 mph (34 and 42 kph). This is a fairly strong wind at any time, but for a Major and at Augusta National, this type of wind will reek all kinds of havoc for the players. I am thinking Tiger Woods stinger shot might come in handy today.

There is plenty of golf still left to play at this year’s Masters. It is too early to suggest who a clear winner will be until after the field is set for the weekend. Of course moving day will set the stage for Sunday, but I am getting way ahead of myself. For now, I am going to enjoy the action and keep cheering on my picks for this year.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Day one of the Masters is over. All the pundits are frantically justifying why their pick is not at the top of the leaderboard. They are talking about the wind, the pressure, their starting position, nagging injuries, etc, etc, etc. The performance of any professional during the Masters will vary depending on an infinite number of reasons. But, there was always one factor that never changes!

Before I go into the one constant of the Masters, I thought I would share some interesting highlights of the 2014 first round. Interestingly, it was what everyone expected and it was nothing like anyone expected. Here is what I found interesting:

Bill Haas is at the top of the leaderboard;
Bubba Watson was the only player to have a bogey free round;
Phil Mickelson had a double-bogey and a triple bogey;
Fred Couples is at -1;
Bernhard Langer is 56 years old and shot even par;
Top Amateur is Matthew Fitzpatrick (youngest in the field) +4;
Jack Nicklaus is still the greatest; and
The images at this link are excellent – Thanks PGA!

Back to the original point – the one constant of all the Masters is the course! Golf monthly has a great overview of each hole that is worth checking out. However, that is not what I noticed.

The only flat section at Augusta National Golf Club is the practice area and tee boxes!

As I watched the players navigate around the course, not one of them had a flat lie. Not one! In the fairway, the ball was above or below their feet. The hazards on the course are sculpted perfectly. The announcers constantly talked about the quick breaks and how important it is to be on the right side of the hole! The course is a monster and course management will be the deciding factor to who wins this weekend! Augusta National Golf Course is truly a gem and the next three rounds are going to be exciting.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links…..soon!